Traverse City Walmart attack suspect found competent to stand trial

The Traverse City Walmart stabbing case can now move forward in Grand Traverse County court after Judge Michael Stepka found Bradford Gille competent to stand trial following a psychiatric evaluation.

The ruling came during a competency hearing Friday, May 29, in Grand Traverse County’s 86th District Court. Competency is a legal question about whether a defendant understands the court process and can rationally help with a defense. It is separate from whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. Gille had previously been found incompetent in August 2025, and Stepka ordered him to treatment at the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Saline before a new evaluation.

Gille now faces 12 charges in the case, including one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder. The charges stem from the July 26, 2025, attack at the Traverse City Walmart, where police said 11 people were injured in what they described as a random assault. Local reporting said the attack began near the checkout lanes shortly before 5 p.m., and the weapon was described as a folding knife with a 3.5-inch cutting blade. Gille was identified as a 42-year-old from Afton.

The competency ruling does not settle the criminal case, but it removes a major procedural barrier that had paused the proceedings for months. The next scheduled milestone is a preliminary hearing set for June 29, 2026, at 11 a.m., where the court is expected to take another step toward determining how the case will proceed.

The attack triggered a broad public response in Traverse City and across Grand Traverse County because of the number of alleged victims and the terrorism charge attached to the case. Munson Healthcare said all 11 victims had been released from the hospital or transferred elsewhere by Aug. 7, 2025. The City of Traverse City also issued a public sympathy statement and later put out a resource page for people affected by the attack.

State victim-services officials say Michigan’s Crime Victim Compensation program can help eligible victims, witnesses, people in direct proximity and first responders with counseling, lost wages, transportation and other expenses. The city later announced a Listening and Learning Forum for victims and family members focused on coping, trauma, grief, depression and future needs, reflecting how the impact of the Walmart attack has continued long after the scene was cleared.